Blog-to-book: 4 books worth reading in this new genre

Amy GuthTribune reporter

Yes, "blog-to-book" is now a genre. While some might scoff at such a prospect, let's face it: sometimes, flipping through a book and laughing is not only appropriate, it's necessary. I liked Tolstoy as much as anyone else, but sometimes it's just not a "War and Peace" kind of day, right? Right. Here are 4 books in the blog-to-book category that are great for a laugh.

Naturally, the popular open-usage DIY-crafts site Etsy.com, is bound to have some... interesting items placed for sale by crafters from time to time. Enter Regretsy.com, a Web site created to showcase this craft hall of shame. The greatest hits are now in book form and include a painting of a corn dog, a Babrie-sized mermaid doll hair clip, a clock made from a "mostly clean" cheese grater (Sorry, what?) and a whole slew of other whatthe?-style crafts. (Word of warning: while still outrageously funny, the chapter devoted to crafts inspired by, ahem, ladyparts, is not for the faint of heart. It's funny, but you can't un-see any of it, if you catch my drift.)

Based on the user-submitted photographs posted at PassiveAggressiveNotes.com, the book is an equally groan-worthy photographic look at the familiar day-to-day frustrations between co-workers, roommates and relatives, dealt with through passive-aggressive note-writing rather than, say, having a conversation.

One big ol' pastry "fail" after another. The book, based off of CakeWrecks.com, offers hilarious photographs of what-were-you-thinking? cakes (pink mole rat cake anyone?) and tons of errors made when well-meaning cake decorators took written orders very literally ("Best Wishes Suzanne, Under Neat (sic) That, We Will Miss You" for example).

"Sh*t My Dad Says" By Justin Halpern It Books, 176 pages, $15.99

When 28-year-old Justin Halpern was dumped by his girlfriend, he moved in with his 73-year-old-father and began tweeting (It's micro-blogging. It counts.) random comments and pieces of advice his father gave him such as, "The worst thing you can be is a liar... Okay, fine, yes, the worst thing you can be is a Nazi, but then number two is a liar. Nazi one, liar two." Then thought back and noted advice his father had given to him at various points in his childhood such as after the first day of kindergarten: "You thought that was hard? If kindergarten is busting you a**, I got some bad news about the rest of your life."